Anniston, Ala. -- Jacksonville State University (JSU) was among the hardest hit by the March 19-20 tornadoes and storms that struck the state and led to the president declaring a major disaster for Calhoun, Cullman, Etowah and St. Clair counties for Public Assistance.
Ever since the disaster, JSU has been aggressively working to return its campus to full operation so the university can meet the needs of current and future students. A FEMA Public Assistance (PA) grant that will be awarded to the State of Alabama for debris removal at JSU will help.
JSU was the first eligible applicant to conduct a scoping meeting with FEMA and Alabama EMA where an inventory of damages and a schedule for site inspections was developed. “The JSU staff was very well prepared and provided all required and supporting documentation. This has enabled the State and FEMA to move the project toward funding approvals within a matter of days,” said Alabama’s State Coordinating Officer Brett Howard.
“The State of Alabama is extremely grateful for the quick turnaround of this grant request,” said Brian E. Hastings, Director of Alabama EMA and Governor’s Authorized Representative for this disaster. “Local economies play a significant role in a community’s recovery from a disaster. By continuing to partner efficiently and effectively to get JSU fully operational, we will minimize the reduction in economic impact to the region and support the local community’s long-term recovery.”
Thomas J. McCool, the federal coordinating officer for this disaster, said, “This is a textbook example how FEMA’s PA process should work. Applicants who have the necessary documentation for work that has been completed should certainly expect quicker turnarounds on reimbursements. Documentation is key to our Public Assistance delivery process.”
The grant will be the first expected to be awarded by FEMA’s PA program for state, local governments and certain non-profit agencies in Alabama who are eligible to submit proposals for infrastructure repairs.
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The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955 (Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339), emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s Web site at sba.gov/disaster.